Old Friends
by chemicalflashes
Summary: Twenty-three years ago, he fell into the Lake. A nostalgic Dennis remembers his first day at Hogwarts as he takes first years across the Lake.
**A/N:**

 **Of all the interesting things in Harry Potter, my favourite is the one where Dennis Creevey falls into the Lake, off screen.**

 **Onto the story.**

. ... ..

 _Old Friends_

 _1st September 1994_

"So I will meet you at the Feast, right?" little Dennis Creevey asked his elder brother nervously as they left the Hogwarts Express.

"Of course, D! Just get sorted right, okay? I don't want any brother of mine in Slytherin."

"I'll try my best," he sputtered. He was very, very nervous. What if the Hat didn't see him as being worthy enough to be in Gryffindor like his brother?

"All the best, D."

"Uh, thanks, C."

He separated from Colin and went towards a huge man who was calling out to first years to gather together. He was wearing some kind of skins over his clothes. Ah, so this is Professor Hagrid, he thought.

"First 'ears, first 'ears!" he was saying in a very thick accent. Around him, a crowd of children had gathered. Even though all of them were wearing their thick robes, many of them, including him, were shivering; it was very windy and exceptionally cold for a September night after all.

"'Ello!" he was saying now. "I am Professor Hagrid and I teach Care of Magical Creatures. Now, we would be crossing the Lake tonight in boats and I don't want any funny business in this stormy weather, 'lright? That means no jumping around."

Dennis found himself nodding with the rest of the others.

"Follow me!"

And they did.

A few minutes later, when he found himself standing on the cliff overlooking the lake, he could make out the silhouette of Hogwarts in the foggy air. Upon seeing it, all of his nervousness flew right out of the window. It was more spectacular than he had imagined it to be. It was more spectacular in reality than in Colin's description. He just couldn't contain his impatience for setting his foot in there.

"Only four in a boat!" Professor Hagrid said as they descended the cliff.

Dennis jumped into the first one along with the huge man. A girl with very long, long golden hair and a boy with jet black hair followed him. Of course he didn't know it then, but the boy was to become a close friend and the girl a source of mystery and intrigue, and yet later, his best friend.

The boat heaved forward as Professor Hagrid worked with the oars. The wind was making large waves that frequently splashed upon them and rocked the boat furiously. He knew he should be concerned with securing his position on the boat but he was far too excited to think about safety. He had to see the castle.

"Hold tight!"

But he wasn't holding anything at all, instead he was trying to stand up. The girl beside him, eyed him disdainfully but didn't say anything.

Suddenly, a monstrous wave came crashing upon them and it jolted the boat thoroughly. Before he could fathom what was happening, he had lost his balance and was thrown overboard with a loud splash. His eyes were open but he could not see a single thing; the water was dark and it had an omnious green tinge. His arms were flapping wildly, trying to remain afloat but it was of no use. The water was pulling him in. He heard some vague voices but he could not identify what they were saying.

He could not die; he did not want to die. He still had to see Hogwarts, get sorted into Gryffindor and meet Colin at the Feast.

But he did not know swimming and the waters were calling him in. It felt like hours had passed since he had fallen in. He tried a second time, pushing and kicking the dark waters with choleric ferocity but nothing happened. He was about to give up when something sleek and squishy wrapped itself around his waist. Dennis froze with terror.

It seemed that his plans to remain alive would never be accomplished.

However, in the next moment, he was proved to be utterly wrong in his thoughts, for the squishy thing had given him a mighty jerk and thrown him right out of the dark waters, making him land straight into the tossing boat in front of Professor Hagrid, choking and sputtering.

"That was some stunt, kid." the half-giant remarked amicably. Then in a louder voice he added, "Nobody else should repeat what Mr. Creevey here just did!"

Dennis could only laugh as Professor Hagrid wrapped the skins he had been wearing around his shivering frame. No scolding? Care of Magical Creatures was definitely going to be his favourite subject.

Later when Colin told him that it was probably the Giant Squid who had saved him, Dennis could only hop in excitement, silently thanking it. When the Hat learned of his watery adventures in the Lake, it immediately placed him into Gryffindor without any further thought.

. ... ..

 _1st September 2017_

Almost two months ago, when McGonagall had told him that good, old Hagrid was retiring to pursue dragon taming with Charlie Weasley in Romania, he could not understand why was she telling him all this. It was only when she added that she wanted him to become the new Professor of Care of Magical Creatures due to his long experience in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry, that he had understood.

Now he was here.

It was a stormy night and Dennis shivered within his long overcoat. The children were alighting the Express now. His daughter, Cora, waved to him as she went off in the other direction, towards the carriages and he waved back. He would talk to her later.

He waited for the first years to settle themselves before calling out for them. After five minutes, he began.

"First years! First years!"

They all came towards him with tense and nervous faces. On seeing them, he remembered his own first day and his eyes twinkled. He wished his brother was here to see what he was doing. He towered over them due to his tall and lanky stature, all evidence of him being the smallest child ever at Hogwarts gone with age.

His eyebrows went up momentarily when he saw that Scorpius Malfoy, Rose Weasley and Albus Potter had banded together. At least it meant that the Third Wizarding War was not going to occur anytime soon.

"Good evening!" he said brightly. "I am Dennis Creevey and I am the new Professor of Care of Magical Creatures and that's why I'm here to escort you all magical creatures to Hogwarts."

Tense faces greeted him yet again.

"Are you all worried about the Sorting? Worried that you'll be in Slytherin when you really wanted to be in Gryffindor or that you'll be in Hufflepuff when you wanted Ravenclaw?" he asked knowingly. "Well, don't worry. I was just like you exactly twenty-three years ago but in the end I got what I wanted. The Hat is very patient and friendly and it always takes your choices into account, so there's no reason to worry at all. Now come on, follow me! We have got to cross the Lake on boats. Aren't you excited? I knew I was when I had gotten to do it."

Many smiles broke in the crowd as they paced behind him. There were a lot of audible gasps when they reached the cliff overlooking the School and he smiled. It was drizzling but nobody was seeming to mind it.

"Only four in a boat!" he called out as they descended the cliff, just like Hagrid had done all those years ago.

There were enormous waves in the Lake and the wind the had picked up speed when they finally got down. He got into the first boat and Scorpius, Rose and Albus followed him. He wondered silently what would become of Hogwarts due to the blossoming friendship of the three.

As he took the oars and gave a lantern to Rose, a powerful wave rocked the boat. Oh boy, it was becoming too much like his own first day.

After covering some ten metres, the waves became even more terrible and somehow, Albus Potter got thrown into the water. Rose Weasley went positively wild as she gripped the edge to peer into the dark water, while Scropius' eyes scanned the water with concern.

"Albus! Albus! Can you hear me?"

No reply came.

"Aren't you going to do _anything_ , Professor?" she yelled, hysteric with shock.

"Put yourself together, Miss Weasley," he told her sternly. "Nothing's going to happen to your cousin."

"How do you know?" she screamed. "Albus? Albus!"

He gripped her shoulders. "Just trust me, okay?" he stated through gritted teeth.

True to his words, Albus came back onboard, whizzing through the air. He landed with a dull thump on the boat. Dennis immediately handed him his overcoat for warmth. Rose hugged him and she slapped his back to eject out water from his lungs.

Rose was looking at him with eyes full of wonder but Dennis did not know it, for he was looking out towards the Lake. For a second, he did not see anything, but just as he was about to turn away his head in the other direction, he saw a lone tentacle slithering into the water. He got up and stood, even though the boat was still shaking like before, and saluted.

"How did you know for certain that Albus was going to come back on his own?" Scorpius asked him, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Because twenty-three years ago, today," he replied with a smile and a faraway look in his eyes as he sat down, "I too had fallen into the Lake and my old friend had helped me."

. ... ..

 **So, how was it?**


End file.
